Ribbed heat exchanger

Abstract

The heat exchanger is formed of parallel rows of tubes and transverse ribs. The ribs have flat uncorrugated parts extending in zones about and along the rows of tubes as well as corrugated parts extending between the rows of tubes. The flat parts may be separated from the corrugated parts by stepped parts or fillers may be provided in the gaps between the uncorrugated parts. The gaps are to conduct a flow of medium in heat exchange relation to a flow of medium through the tubes. The crests and troughs of each corrugated part extend from the same plane adjacent a flat part and terminate in a similar plane at an adjacent flat part. Streamline-shaped inflow and outflow members aligned with the stepped part of the fin direct the flow of air.

I claim: 
     
       1. A heat exchanger comprising a plurality of parallel tubes for conveying a first medium disposed in parallel rows;   a plurality of sheet metal ribs distributed longitudinally and transversely of said tubes and in heat conductive relation therewith, said ribs being disposed in parallel relation to each other to define gaps for conveying a second medium therethrough, each rib having a flat zone extending around and at a right angle to a respective row of said tubes, an uninterrupted corrugated part extending from each side of said zone and a stepped part joining a respective corrugated part to said zone with said respective corrugated part in a spaced parallel plane to said zone; and   a streamline-shaped member disposed on at least one of an inflow side and an outflow side of a respective zone for directing a flow of the second medium over or from said corrugated parts of said ribs, said member having boundary surfaces thereof in alignment with said stepped part of a respective rib.   
     
     
       2. A heat exchanger as set forth in claim 1 wherein each corrugated part has a plurality of coplanar crests extending at a right angle to a plane containing a longitudinal axis of each tube of an adjacent row of tubes. 
     
     
       3. A heat exchanger as set forth in claim 1 wherein each corrugated part has corrugations of equal length to the corrugations of the remaining corrugated parts. 
     
     
       4. A heat exchanger as set forth in claim 1 wherein each flat zone has a necked-out collar secured to and about a respective tube